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Poster:	Shug909	Date:	Jul 3, 2017 3:23pm
Forum:	GratefulDead	Subject:	Re: Long Strange Trip--Episode 6: Should I watch it?

No it shows Jerry choosing opiates over people who loved and cared about him and him treating them badly

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Poster:	Daddy D	Date:	Jul 7, 2017 11:34am
Forum:	GratefulDead	Subject:	Re: Long Strange Trip--Episode 6: Should I watch it?

I've decided to NOT watch episode 6.

I understand that Jerry was only human, clearly had his faults & failings, demons, etc., but as I only have good memories of him, now that he's gone I'm not going to muck about into the shitty areas of his life. Instead I'll just maintain my uncomplicated admiration of the man.

He was an amazingly talented musician, and in nearly all of the interviews I've read & youtube videos I've watched, he comes across as an intelligent, thoughtful, funny guy. He had a huge impact on my life (maybe too much of an impact??), and while I'm sure if I watched episode 6 I might "get to know him a little better" in a sense, evidently that line about "never meet your heroes, less they be found to have feet of clay" would turn out to be true. So I'm content to allow him keep his hero status in my life.

As to the other episodes, generally-speaking I enjoyed them.

Funny how we're all different, overall I enjoyed hearing Cutler's take on things. And what?!? They guy's driving around Australia and/or the USA and living in a van?? Shit Cutler, I've got 20 acres on a spring-fed lake here in Florida, feel free to swing by & hang out anytime!!

As to Barbara Meier, I enjoyed listening to her as well, and I have to say, I think Jerry royally @%^@$ up when he gave her the boot! She was super-cute when she was young and has (imo) aged very well. Very attractive woman, intelligent, talented, thoughtful, etc.. Only negative is that she has shit taste in music, i.e., according to her she got bored listening to Jerry play bluegrass--blasphemy!!

As others have mentioned, one missing elements was Carolyn Adams Garcia, aka, Mountain Girl. How you could make a documentary about the Grateful Dead & Jerry and not include her or ask for her take on things I'll never understand, unless she shows up in episode 6? I'm guessing she chose to not be very involved??

Personally if they were unwilling to add to the length of the doc, I would have preferred to hear more from Bill even if that meant hearing less from Bobby and Phil. Bobby's always seemed to be somewhat of a "Space Cadet" to me, though I don't think he came off that way so much in this doc.

Very little mention of T.C. or Vince, but that didn't bother me.

I did notice in one video of the band playing during Keith's earliest years, there was a scene where everyone on stage is jamming out, Pig is on stage as well (playing tambourine maybe?) but he looks totally out of place, unhappy & uncomfortable. It was a very short scene, and maybe he was just sick & uncomfortable, which would explain why he looked as he did, but I couldn't help but wonder what that must have felt like for him, being on stage and watching someone (Keith) playing/jamming better than he'd ever be able to play/jam? Was there any animosity, hurt feelings, or bruised egos??

But to me the greatest glaringly missing person was Hunter, but evidently that was of his choosing. I love the scene where he quotes the Dark Star verse and then basically says "What do you not understand--what is not obvious about that??" Too funny. It was interesting to learn that Hunter was (and clearly still is) concerned about maintaining his anonymity. Smart man! I have often thought to myself that the rich part of being "Rich & Famous" must be nice, but the famous part much of the time must absolutely suck! So kudos to Mr. Hunter for possessing that wisdom and foresight and the discipline to insist upon maintaining it for all these years.

My only other serious complaint would be that more than a few times they would be talking about a certain period in Dead history, but playing music from clearly another era. Why did they choose to do that??





This post was modified by Daddy D on 2017-07-07 18:34:12

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Poster:	bluedevil	Date:	Jul 9, 2017 11:03am
Forum:	GratefulDead	Subject:	Re: Long Strange Trip--Episode 6: Should I watch it?

I feel like every Deadhead should be made to watch Episode 6. In many ways, I thought it was the best episode - and shows how we were all responsible.

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Poster:	Daddy D	Date:	Jul 9, 2017 8:39pm
Forum:	GratefulDead	Subject:	Re: Long Strange Trip--Episode 6: Should I watch it?

Would you mind expounding on "(it) shows how we are all responsible" comment?

I've got a feeling I know where you're going with that, but I don't want to assume anything.

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Poster:	bluedevil	Date:	Jul 9, 2017 10:52pm
Forum:	GratefulDead	Subject:	Re: Long Strange Trip--Episode 6: Should I watch it?

The whole "more, more, more" that we fans asked of the band, and most particularly Jerry, built a cage of fame that kept him isolated. Weir talks about how he could never go out in any town. There's a good scene from a press conference when "Touch of Grey" was climbing the charts when he answers yes to the question of whether success has spoiled the band, while the others talk about how it sucked playing stadiums and that as the scene got too big to manage Jerry was the one that refused to join in the band pronouncements to ask folks to not come without tickets. He wasn't one to hand down rules - or follow them. The darkness and depth that is this band, and especially Jerry, comes across in a very somber and moving way in the final episode. I just wish he had been able to step away for awhile - and that the rest of the guys had helped that happen. But it's hard to help a junkie - especially when your paycheck depends on taking the party on to the next show. Phil does say that even if the band had take a break, he would have just gone out with the Garcia Band. Maybe. I think he and Barbara might have had a shot had he taken a break. Who knows?

Also, I like how this episode circle backs to the start and does a good job of incorporating the whole Frankenstein theme. Then again, I like Cutler and Barlow, so what do I know?